Collapsible-tube-closing machine



April 7,1925. I 1,532,659

I v I 'r. HARRISON COLLAPSIBLB TUBE CL QS I NG MACHINE 7 Filed April 30, 1924 IN VENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Fatented Apr. Z, 1925 stares arsr oonnnrsinnn rnen-cLosrNe MACHINE.

Application filed fipril so, 1924. Serial No. 710,021.

To ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Thomas L. HARRISON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Collapsible-Tube- Closing Machines, of which the following is a spcification.

My invention relates to machines for closing the rear initially open ends of collapsi ble tubes, such as those in which tooth pastes and other pastes of plastic products are sold.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a vmachine which is capable of more rapid operation than machines of sim-- ilar character heretofore, as far as I am awareyconstructed, so that a greater number of tubes may be closedin any given period of time than previously has been practical.

A. further object of the invention is to simplify the construction of the machine to thereby enable its manufacture at a substantial reduction in cost.

To these and other ends, the invention comprehends the construction as hereinafter described and illustrated in the drawings in which I have illustrated one form of construction embodying said invention. It will be understood, however, that changes in the details of construction may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation view of a ma chine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation view of the machine looking toward the left in Fig. 1

Figs. 8, 4, 5 and'tl are views indicating different steps in the operation of closing the end of a collapsible tube by means of the said machine.

deferring to the drawings: 1 designates the base or frame portion of the machine.

2 the main revolving cam, by which said jaws 3 and at are forced apart by means of a hand crank 5. Jaws 3 and 4 are pivoted at one end by means of projecting pins 31 and 32, which project outwardly from said frame 1. 6 is shown a collapsible tube in cup 7 ready'to be closed by said machine as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This cup is held in an adjustable bracket .8 which in turn is secured to the adjustable sliding block 9. This sliding block 9 takes its upward'and downwardmovement by the internal cam 11 through roller 10.

Gear wheels 13 and l lare provided for revolving the internal cam 11 which causes the collapsible tube to rise for a second fold.

is a shaftrevolving in bearings 1 1 connecting cam 10 and gear 12 by means of pins or set keys. 17 is a shaft revolving in bearing 16 connecting hand crank 5, gear 13 and main cam 2 by means of pins or keys.

Fig. 1 shows the tube placed-in cup 7 with jaws a open by means of cam 2 ready to be closed andturned over for the first crimp. By turning crank 5 in a forwardly direction, the jaws come together by means of a tension spring 18 through rollers 19 and 26 following the curvature of said cam 2 crushing the tube together. Roller 20 which revolves on the face of said cam 2 at this point comes in contact with and rolls on the upper curvature of tilting link 21 which in turn hinges with the flapper '22 and steel shoe 23 forcing same forward to the right across said jaws 2' and 3 bending the end of the collapsible tube laterally as shown in Fig. 3, by means of toggle joints 2% and 25. Bystill turning crank 5' in same direction roller 26 on jaw 1 at this point runs on ahigh spot 27 on cam 2 cansing jaw 1 to retire inanoutwardly direc.- tion, thereby allowing flapper 22 and steel shoe 23 through the downward tension of bow-spring 28 to'bend the flattened portion of said laterally turned tube in a downwardly direction as shown in Fig. 5.

Roller 20 is still riding on tilting link 21 in the same position. Immediately following this occurrence roller 20, which is a part of cam 2, leaves tilting link 21 and said spring 29 and stop bolt 30 causes the tilting link 21 and flapper 22 and shoe 23 to retire back to their first position, as shown in Figs. 6 and 1. Jaws 3 and i through tension spring 18 and cam 2 have now caused inward movement thereof to press the flattened end of the collapsible tube tight for the first crimp as shown in Fig. 6. Follow-' ing this occurrence jaws 3 and 4; are now opened by outwardly movement by cam 2 and said roller 10 operating in the internal cam 11 rides on the high side, which through sliding block 9 causes cup 7 to raise the tube the required height to repeat for a second fold.

It will be seen I have provided a machine of the character and for the purpose stated which comprises a minimum number of parts and the construction of which is extremely simple, by reason of the relatively small number of parts employed in its construction, and by reason of the relationship between the said parts, the said machine is capable of operating eiiiciently at unusual speed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a collapsible tube closing machine, the combination of oscillating clamping jaws adapted to co-operate to initially clamp the open end of a collapsible tube, a cam for actuating the jaws and a spring for forcing the jaws to perform the clamping, a toggle link pivoted near the end of one'of said jaws, a flapper carrying a shoe pivoted at a point midway of said toggle link, a bow spring for normally holding tension on toggle link, flapper and shoe in its upright or closed position, and means coacting with the free end of said toggle link for causing said flapper and shoe to hinge across said jaws while jaws are in clamping relation through the yielding of bow spring, causing the flattened end of the tube to bend laterally across said jaw.

2. In a collapsible tube closing machine, the combination of oscillating clamping jaws, means for moving the said jaws into clamping position for an interval of time with the flattened end of a tube held between the same, means adapted to be moved across the clamped jaws during such interval to bend the projecting end of said flattened portion of tube laterally against the top surface oft-he end portion of one of said jaws, means for thereafter moving said lastmentioned jaw outwardly away from the other jaw which remains stationary and the said second-named means then operating automatically to turn the previously turned flattened end portion of the tube downwardly and being thereafter returned to 1ts open bottom end of acollapsible tube to flatten the same, means for moving said jaws into and out of clamping relation, a toggle link, flapper, and shoe connected near the end of one of said jaws for causing outward and downward movement thereof, a roller on said means coacting witathe free end of toggle link forces the flapper and shoe across the said jaws, a bow spring interposed between said toggle and flapper at this point causes downward tension on flapper and shoe against the opposite jaw, at this point of the cycle of operation there being high spot on said cam for effecting outward movement of said jaw frombeneath the shoe, a bow spring operating after the said jaw has accomplished its outward movement causes a sharp downward motion the flapper and shoe, the free end of the flapper by this action bonds the flattened end of the tube downward, and. means for imparting an up and down reciprocation to the collapsible tube thereafter. v

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have hereunto subscribed my name this twenty eighth day of April, 1924.

rnoivnis L. HARRISON. 

